11am
by FoamyxTobi
Summary: Naruto is the boy your mothers told you to stay away from. But good-boy Sasuke just can't help but be attracted to his miscreant. Broken hearts, betrayal and walla-walla'ing are just some of the things that are in store for these young teenagers. Rated M for everything mature and angsty.
1. Suddenly Here I Am

Hey! This is the same 11am as before, except here's the skinny:

The mods deleted it, so I had to fumble to recoup my story! What this means for you, my precious reader, is that

a) I re-wrote the first chapter!

b) I'll be editing the other chapters I managed to save!

All for you guys! So as always, read and review! If you know anyone who was reading this before it was deleted, please share the news that it's back!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto. Some characters may be OOC, depending on your point of view.

* * *

Heavy, one-sided drunken fumbling.

Sasuke was perfectly sober while the man on top of him had breath that reeked of alcohol and weed. The latter was a smell that usually floated around the man, and Sasuke loved it. Sasuke loved him.

"Naruto," Sasuke half whispered, half whimpered as the blond planted a sloppy kiss on his neck.

Stale weed.

Cheap cologne.

Failure.

With those powers combined, you got Naruto.

"Sssssh." Naruto hushed the boy with a kiss on his lips. Sasuke bucked his hips in need and threw his arms around the larger boy, sticking his face in the crook of the drunk's neck. They were completely naked, under covers.

Sasuke had wanted this more than anything in the world. Naruto was his world… But he knew that Naruto didn't care.

Naruto kissed Sasuke's forehead… And then he thrust.

Sasuke awoke alone. The sun was shining, filtered through slim cracks in the blinds. He was confused for the briefest second, and then the memories flooded back to him. He sat up quickly with a gasp. At the foot of the bed his clothes were folded neatly, where last night they were carelessly tossed to every corner. He furrowed his brow.

"N… Naruto?" He dared to call out. Please, let him still be there. Let him have not left. Let this not be a one night stand. His hopes were raised as the doorknob jiggled and the door opened, but were dashed against the rocks as Neji poked his head through the entrance.

"Hey there, Sleepin' Booty," chided he as he walked into the bedroom. He shielded his eyes, "Ugh, put your chest away, your stark whiteness is blinding!" Sasuke dropped his head in mild embarrassment as he pulled the sheets up, like a woman.

"I should have known you'd be here."

"Well… Yeah. I kind of live here." Neji smirked. "You should probably get dressed, instead of laying around in your own… love… Fluids…" Neji made a sort of duck face with his teeth showing while Sasuke turned an even more embarrassed shade of red and took on a disgusted look.

"Ugh! Get out!"

Neji laughed and shut the door behind him. Sasuke slid out of the bed that he defiled the night before and put on his clothes. Of the many thoughts that swam through his brain, the most recurrent was the question of if this was a one night stand. Unfortunately, he grimaced, all the signs pointed to yes. Naruto was higher than the Empire State. He was gone in the morning, leaving no signs that he had been there. If it wasn't for Neji's apparent knowledge about the two's illicit love affair, and the uncomfortable soreness in his buttocks, Sasuke would have thought it was all a very realistic dream.

He walked out of the bedroom fully dressed, and to his surprised Neji was in the kitchen, making themselves breakfast. Technically, anyway, since all he seemed to be doing was fishing ramen packets out of the pantry and boiling water. Neji gestured towards the table, inviting him to sit down. There was a few beats of silence between the two, then Neji decided to break it.

"So, how's the sex?" Neji had his back to Sasuke; neither one could see the expression on the other's face. Neji's was that of complete mirth. Sasuke's was pure horror. If he had any doubts about the validity of his virginity being taken, they were gone now.

"Shut the fuck up!"

Neji had no intention to. "You and Naruto, eh. Took you guys long enough, the way you two talk about each other. It's ridiculous. Although the way Naruto hauled ass out of here, I've never seen him move that fast in my life." He stopped to break up the ramen and dump it into the now boiling water.

"Naruto talks about me?" Sasuke was amazed. He was sure that if Naruto had anything to say about him, it was something terrible and bad.

"Oh, yeah. Usually when he's hammered with people grinding on his dick. He never stops talking about the 'profound sense of beauty' you supposedly have, or the 'amount of mystery and sweet sorrow' in your eyes. He's a real fuckin' sap, it's disgusting. I mean, you never shut up about the guy but even you don't have the soul of a romantic."

Sasuke flushed a deep crimson. He opened his mouth to reply, but Neji continued.

"Of course, like I said, the only time he ever ventures into _that_ territory is when he's drunk."

Sasuke closed his mouth. It isn't surprising that a man would spout those sorts of things when he's inebriated. It looks like the only way he'd be able to get Naruto to willingly love him back is to get him drunk. But the fact that Naruto would still say those things just made Sasuke want him even more at that moment. The feelings of potentially being used were ebbing away and were being replaced by the hope that maybe, he could be wanted.

Neji served the ramen in a bowl, setting Sasuke's down first in front of him, and then sitting down across from him with his own bowl.

Sasuke propped himself up on the table with his elbow, stirring the ramen around with his fork. Looking very bored but with a hint of sadness, he said, "You know, there never will be a 'Naruto and me'. " Sasuke would do anything for that not to be true, but one's hopes can only go so high. "And if we _did_ manage to get together, by some stroke of blind and dumb luck, it wouldn't last. I don't know how it could."

Neji merely shrugged. "Yeah. That could happen…" He slurped up a noddle noisily, Sasuke sneered in disgust. "Or you could get everything you've wanted since you were fourteen."

Neji had a special talent that enabled him to floor any conversation and to do it oh so nonchalantly. As Neji sat eating his noodles, he had influenced Sasuke to start considering his future and contemplating the tricky notion of love.

"Do you think he'd want anything to do with me after this?" Sasuke finally asked after their bowls were near empty.

"You know there's only way to find out." Neji picked up his bowl and tipped it back into his mouth, finishing the contents. He swept up the bowls and dumped them into the sink.

"Now get the fuck out of my house." Neji flapped his arm out towards the door, gesturing for Sasuke to go away.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You know as well as I do that I came here with a group."

"Walk, motherfucker!"

"I live miles away; it'd take at least 3 hours to get there!"

"Bitch, I do not have time for this!"

"Don't call me a bitch!"

"Ugh, then who do we know that has a car and can get the fuck over here?"

"Fuck, I don't know. Umm… Lee?"

"He's camping with that weird guy and the rest of the scouts."

"Kiba?"

"It'd take him even longer to get here than if you were to walk, and he'd have fifteen fucking dogs in his car. I swear it's like a fucking circus."

"Well, then… I don't know."

"Well, then," Neji mocked Sasuke. "That only leaves one prestigious, intelligent, one well versed in the arts young man."

Sasuke had to think about it for a second before he widened his eyes and groaned. "Oh, no. Please don't."

"The last person who said that to me was pregnant five seconds later." With that, Neji whipped out his cellphone and dialled the number two person on his speed dial.

It rang for a while; Neji enjoyed the song that the person chose as their caller tone: Chemicals by Scars on Broadway.

It was 11am when Naruto rolled over in his bed sleepily, grasping at his night stand for his ringing cellphone. With bleary eyes, he saw that it was Neji calling. He rolled eyes and pushed himself up, tapping the 'answer' button.

"The fuck do you want, I already talked to you today," Naruto mumbled, coming to a full sitting up position.

"I want you, my humble chauffer. Get the fuck over to my house."

Naruto heaved a great sigh. "Where am I taking you that you can't walk to, lazy bitch?"

"Oh, you misunderstand. This ride isn't for me; this ride is for someone you've already ridden."

Back at Neji's house, Sasuke's ears burned with a blush.

"That would be… a lot of people," Naruto replied, although he had a good idea of who he meant.

"Why, it's our dearest Sasuke! Here, I'll have you ask him yourself!"

Neji passed the phone on to Sasuke, who got it just in time to hear a very annoyed blonde curse harshly with blatant annoyance in his voice.

"Oh, god fucking dammit. Not him, man."

Sasuke chose to ignore his hurt feelings and the welling in his throat and eyes and coughed a delicate reply, "Hello, Naruto." Neji raised an eyebrow, as he could see Sasuke's discomfort.

"….."

"Hello?"

"Hey."

"I… I just need a ride home. If you don't want to, it's okay; I'll just… scrounge up some change or whatever and find a bus."

Naruto heard Neji in the background, "Hey, that's a good idea! Why didn't you say that earlier?"

Sasuke replied to Neji, "Some dumb slut took my wallet last night. You know how my bloody fangirls are."

Naruto sighed again. "Look, it's fine. Sit tight and I'll fuckin' get ready and go."

Sasuke smiled slightly, pleased. "Thank you."

"Don't. By the way, in exchange for this, you need to help me walla walla."

Sasuke started to ask what exactly that was but Naruto already hung up.

Sasuke turned to Neji. "Hey, Naruto said I have to do something for him."

"Oooooh," Neji grinned wolfishly. "That sounds exciting."

"Erm… Only if you know what walla walla'ing is."

"Oh! That's just going to the mall and milking people out of their hard earned cash for gas or cigarettes. Through any means possible."

"Uh…"

"So you may end up behind a dumpster sucking off a couple of guys. But you know, who isn't into bukkake?"

"Oh my God! No!"

"Please, Sasuke, don't be such a baby. There comes a time in every man's life when he must take the ultimate sacrifice and nibble on a couple or twenty of dude's cocks."

"Shut the fuck up, Hyuuga! Not everyone is such a cum-hungry slut like you!"

Neji sighed dramatically, placing his hand over his heart and fluttering his eyes. "My pride is severely wounded from that little remark, Uchi-blah."

Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes.

Neji dropped to a more serious mode. "You need to help me clean this house, Sasuke. The _others_," he sneered with distaste, "will be back later on today and I need to get started. Vacuuming and all that shit, you know."

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah, okay."

They started with the outside of the house first, making small talk while they lugged trash bags around, picking up the refuse that was left behind by all of the party-goers last night.

Soon, they felt rumbles in their feet and then heard heavy bass being dropped.

"Took him long enough." Neji shook his head and continued picking up trash.

Naruto rolled up in his car, Aqueous Transmission bumping from the car's subwoofer.

Sasuke hesitantly walked up to the car and opened the passenger door. Naruto looked up at him almost kindly, inviting him to sit down. Sasuke did so, and then Naruto leaned over and started to screech at Neji.

"Oi, jotobanger! Get over here!"

Neji laughed and walked up. Naruto thrust his hand underneath Sasuke's seat and pulled out a shoebox. He thrust it at Neji. "Look!"

Neji opened it up, and then laughed appreciatively. "Doobies!"

"Rolled 'em myself!" The box was passed back to the owner and was quickly stuffed away from whence it came.

"Nice."

Sasuke shifted himself uncomfortably. He'd never felt so out of place. He never had done drugs and wasn't feeling particularly antsy to start. It had just started to occur to him that most of his friends did these things recreationally and regularly. Sasuke didn't know quite what the appeal was, but then again, he had never really felt the need to escape reality.

"-Suke!"

Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts. "Huh? What?"

"I said, 'Say what if you love cock'." Neji grinned. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"And also, let's go," Naruto added, a tiny smile on his face from the immaturity of Neji's joke.

Sasuke gave Neji a short wave and Naruto floored it. They sped out of the neighbourhood, heading towards the mall.


	2. Walla walla, GO GO KOALA!

Please read and review! I made minor changes to this chapter, I hope you guys like it!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto! If I did I would replace every usage of the word "Hokage" with "top model".

* * *

They were halfway to the mall when Sasuke scowled. "No one's told me what the fuck 'walla-walla'ing is. I didn't sign up for any of this shit." He glared daggers into Naruto's eyes, Frustration catching Love off guard and clocking him right in his bitch face.

"That's a damn shame, kid," Naruto snickered. He plucked a pack of Marlboro's from the Little Compartment of Lost Keys – he had lost so many things in that car, always finding them just in time in that little compartment – opened it, took one out, and lit it. He sucked in the smoke and blew it out slowly. He smirked at Sasuke.

"I'm not a kid," Sasuke sneered, watching the smoke rise and Naruto's lips move. Why was he so appealing...

"Trust me… I know." Naruto licked his lips and laughed again, taking another drag. The smoke started to stink up the car.

Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arm, as forcefully as he could muster. "You better tell me what I'm supposed to be doing, or-"

"Or what?" Naruto calmly took Sasuke's bony wrist and pulled the pale hand off of him. "You gonna walk home? Because that's what's going to happen…" Naruto stopped and looked around. He leaned back in his seat and continued, "Get the fuck out of my car."

Sasuke's heart thumped and his throat closed. "F… Fine," he choked out, clearing his throat with a dainty cough. Uchiha men were always refined. He could almost hear Neji say, "Weren't so refined last night, now were you, Uchiha boy?"

Sasuke opened the car door, his hand lingering on the fuzzy sides. He loved that car. He swept gracefully out of the car, and shut the door.

He certainly hoped he didn't smell like cigarettes.

He stomped as elegantly and as swiftly as he could away from the damnable blonde menace. Once he got far enough away, he slammed his back against a pillar in front of the mall, supporting one of the stores, and slid down. He clutched at his shirt right above his heart and mumbled a soft, "I'm sorry…" to no one. He couldn't believe that he blew it. _Blew what? _The snide voice in his head purred. _Did you honestly believe you had a chance? You must be higher than Naruto himself! Fool._

The sick thing was that Sasuke actually did believe he had a chance.

"Get the fuck up." A foot nudged his folded knee. "I never said you could_ leave_." The gruff, mocking, almost joking tone of voice was immediately recognisable. Sasuke's head shot right up.

He furrowed his brow, hiding his previous sorrow and looking confused and little miffed. "What the hell?" Sasuke hissed. "You told me to get out of your car, you jackass. So I did. What do you want?"

Naruto snorted, and then squatted down so he was eye to eye with Sasuke. Sasuke could smell the smoke on his breath.

"I'm getting pretty sick of that pretentious fucking snort." His words were soft, as bitter as they were. Sasuke's Ice Princess Demeanor couldn't help but falter when Naruto was around… Especially when he was this close.

"Excuse you," Naruto breathed, his words irritatingly sliding out of that plump pink mouth. He licked his lips again. "I told you to get out of my car so that we could go into the mall." _I remembered you didn't smoke. I didn't want to risk messing up your lungs. Last time I could hear your father yell at you because he smelled your clothes. I wanted to feel depended on. _"Not for you to get all melodramatic and stomp off to cry in a fucking corner." Naruto straightened up. The sting of his words, so smoothly spoken, was sinking in, washing over Sasuke.

"I… I'm sorry." Sasuke apologised again, looking up shamefully at Naruto.

"Don't sweat it." Naruto pulled his arm back and cracked his back. "But if you ever do that again, I really am going to leave your ass."

"Leave me…?" Sasuke's heart gave another one of those funny thumps.

"Yeah. I'll go back home." _I don't need your shit. Never would, never will. _"Fucking fag." Naruto rolled his eyes, pushing back his biting thoughts.

Sasuke heaved himself off the ground and got up. He said nothing, not even a grunt escaped his lips. He dusted himself off, sweeping his long white fingers along the black fabric of his clothes.

"Are you sure you're not a woman?" Naruto shook his head and laughed. "You Uchihas are too clean."

Sasuke looked back at him. The beginnings of an icy glare were forming in his onyx eyes, a perma-scowl on his face. He lost it as soon as he made eye contact with the blue eyed wonder.

Almost immediately, he softened. Naruto had walked closer to Sasuke, and his features were all his to see. Sasuke wanted to count how many hidden freckles there were on Naruto's nose. He could see that Naruto's eyes were one of the most striking shades of blue anyone could stand. They weren't too dark, but dark enough. They weren't too light, but light enough.

Sasuke's eyes traveled all over Naruto's face, softening even more when he came to the 3 parallel scars on both sides of the boy's otherwise unmarred face. Sasuke had no idea where they had came from, but what he had imagined (Naruto fighting against a dastardly villain of any kind, saving some old woman from an oncoming car) merited sympathy from him. His eyes rested on the white lines, teeth on his lower lip as his breath came in slow, sad ebbs. He couldn't help but want to cup the squishy cheeks, and brush his lips against all 6 of those scars.

For what seemed like an eternity, they stared at each other. Finally, Naruto walked right past him, brushing his shoulder with Sasuke's, and went to a middle aged couple looking at a stack of books.

"Hello, ma'am, sir." He said curtly, but politely. "My friend and I are stuck out of gas and we don't have any money. I don't want to sound like a bum, but please… He has to get home. His parents are strict, you see."

Sasuke's cheeks were barely tinged with red. _He remembered._ He stepped up to them to help Naruto out. He directed his attention toward the woman. Sasuke Uchiha had more than a little bit of an air of charm around him. "Please, ma'am? I would have paid my dear friend already, but my wallet was stolen…" he trailed off, stuffing his hand in his pocket to feel nothing but lint. A troubled expression appeared on his face as he thought of the person who had given him the weathered leather wallet.

The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a 5. Naruto gladly took it, and flashed his prize-winning grin. "Thank you kindly, sir!" He took Sasuke's wrist and pulled him away from the couple, harassing them no longer. Safely behind a bookcase, Naruto smirked down at Sasuke. "That is walla-walla'ing."

Sasuke's expression couldn't be deader.

"I was worried…" he spoke slowly, irritated, "for nothing."

"Yep." Naruto shoved the 5 into his pocket. "Now let's find more assholes to take money from."

"Assholes? They're giving you money!" Sasuke huffed.

"People are assholes, kid. The man's cheating on his wife. Did you notice that only she was wearing a ring?" Naruto looked quite smug, almost taunting.

"How on earth did you notice that?" Sasuke did not expect Naruto to be observant. Naruto was expected to be completely oblivious to everything and anything.

"I'm not oblivious to anything and everything, you know." Naruto said, a tinge of offense and semi-sarcasm in his tone. Sasuke bit his lip. "Let's go." Naruto confidently strode out of the store and into the mall itself. Groups of friends laughing and jeering at each other recognised Naruto almost immediately. It didn't take much to get money out of them. People nudged and poked Naruto, asking about Sasuke. They asked the same question, but in a myriad of ways.

"You tappin' that?"

"Another piece of ass candy?"

"Oh shit, man, I didn't know you were fuckin' THAT skinny white boy!"

And Sasuke's personal favourite:

"Dayum, Uzumaki, you have class?"

Sasuke didn't like these people. Naruto laughed heartily and replied to each of their questions with a snotty answer.

Naruto got his money for gas, with little of Sasuke's help. He was just there for visual aide to prove that he had people to drive home.

"Those people were fucking stupid." Sasuke said flatly on the way out of the mall. Naruto clicked his tongue.

"You're very judgmental this evening." Naruto said.

"I am not."

"Yes, you are. You were practically star struck at the fact that I'm not as stupid as I put out, and then you call people you don't even know stupid. If that isn't judgmental, then it's sure as hell racist." He paused. "Somehow."

"Hn." Sasuke grunted.

"I don't like that about you." Naruto continued.

"Excuse me?" Sasuke asked, his heart giving another thump. He always had a reaction to anything Naruto said about him.

"Yeah, that's right. Excuse you." Naruto got into the driver's seat of the car. Sasuke opened the door and slid in.

"I'm sorry if I offended you." Sasuke muttered, looking straight ahead at the dashboard.

"But do you mean it?" Naruto asked. He didn't expect an answer, which was all right because he didn't get one. He started the car and started the drive to the nearest gas station.

_I mean it for you._ Sasuke's thoughts went unspoken.

They drove in silence, aside from the blaring music and Naruto's occasional singing under his breath. Sasuke was afraid to say anything else that would anger Naruto further.

Naruto parked, got out, and began filling the car with gas. He leaned against the side of the car and lit a cigarette. He sighed, angry with himself for agreeing to take this boy around in his car. He saw enough of what he wanted the night before. It wasn't that Sasuke was the best lover that he had, but…

Let us delve into Naruto's thoughts, shall we?

Naruto thought of Sasuke as quiet, reserved, creepy, and an ass. He was creepy in more ways than one. He knew how to be very, very quiet and leave the most overwhelming sense of tension in the air. Then, Sasuke knew how to get phone numbers that he wasn't given permission to have. In Sasuke's defence, it was a good idea at the time because they had just had a pleasant talk. Talk, meaning:

"Hey, Naruto…"

"Er, Sasuke, right?"

Naruto would be damned if he would admit that Sasuke had the deepest eyes. They were very chilling, but enticing all the same. Coupled with the smooth, deep voice he had… It was nut-busting.

It creeped Naruto out, however, when these eyes looked at him. They were never ice cold or angry, at least not for long. They were filled with adoration and admiration. Naruto never knew how to act except with outright anger. How dare he act like he was Naruto's best friend? How dare he even assume that they were friends? How dare he try to couple himself with garbage? He was a fucking Uchiha; he could get anyone that he wanted as long as he flashed his fucking cash. He didn't have to work. He didn't have to do anything. He had parents. He had affection. He had everything…

Naruto flicked the cigarette away. He walked inside the shop and gave the cashier the money. He walked back out, took the nozzle out of his precious car, and got in.

Sasuke was asleep.

Naruto hoped that they crashed just so he would wake up and get annoyed.

Unfortunately, they made it to Sasuke's house safe and sound. Naruto gently nudged Sasuke awake.

"Hey, I'm sorry about... the whole smoking thing. If your dad yells at you again, you can tell him it was my fault." Naruto felt a bit queasy at apologising, but it was the least he could do.

Sasuke rubbed a bit of sleep out of his eyes. "Hmmuh?" He stretched. "It'ssokay... I don't think the smell got on me... but..." Sasuke frowned, re-hearing what Naruto said.

"But what?"

"You said my dad. My brother is the one who was upset with me the last time... Both of my parents are dead." Sasuke said this with no real emotion, other than 'duh'. "Didn't you know...?"

"I... I guess I didn't," Naruto admitted. He remembered reading in the paper of how two rich people by the name of Uchiha had perished ever so tragically. Naruto had thought that this was a good thing, down with the big money makers and capitalism! Until he connected the names. "H... How long ago?"

"I was seven, so..." Sasuke paused, then frowned. It turned into a dark smile. "I never realised how long it's actually been."

A small awkward silence got up and walked around as Sasuke reflected sombrely.

"Mine are too, you know. Gone." Naruto said quietly. Peeling back this layer of the boy in front of him made him realise that he was also extremely judgmental of others, especially the youngest member of the Uchiha clan. They were so very much alike, but neither of them acknowledged it with each other.

Sasuke felt the same way. He reached out, one orphan to another, and touched the shoulder of the man he loved. "It's okay. Goodnight." A light pat. Then the door opened.

"'Night," Naruto whispered back as the car door shut. He watched the raven hike up to his own front door and was let in by the man who Naruto previously thought was Sasuke's father. As soon as that door shut, he settled back into his seat, not really listening to his music as his thoughts carried him home.

* * *

A week later, Sasuke was sitting in Neji's kitchen once more. Sasuke was delicately sipping Sprite, the only fizzy drink he would touch. Soda is bad, he was taught. It would rot his teeth. They were having pleasant conversation. But, Neji was telling a story about how he had almost caught AIDS from some skanky ho in Mexico. And of course, where Mexico is involved, where skanks and hos alike were involved, and where skanks and hos in Mexico were involved, Naruto was there.

Naruto was fiercely protective of his friends, through thick and thin. Neji and Naruto were best friends since middle school, as Sasuke understood it. Sasuke had known Neji forever, through both family and school. Funny story about that, Sasuke and Neji had unofficially met the first time at a library in town. They both couldn't decide what gender the other was, so they avoided each other in case one of them tried to talk to them. But, I digress. Naruto was practically latched onto Neji the whole time, save for drink runs and taking hits from the bong.

What had happened was this…

"I was partyin' right? And then all of a sudden – whoosh. I had to PISS. So I went into the bathroom. There was some bitch in there, and she said 'Hey I'll suck your-' I cut her off and said 'Not now bitch, get out' then I kicked that bitch out and pissed. I got out, and I thought, man, I should find that chick 'cos she's offerin' head, right? So, just as I'm about to shout, 'Hey Cunt!' – Everyone responds to 'cunt' in Mexico, no one knows what it means. I almost called my teachers cunts 3 times today. – Naruto grabs my arm and says, 'Dude, that bitch has AIDS'. Needless to say, I'm thankful that the Kami loves me as much as he does, otherwise I'd look like a spindly heroin addict… More-so than usual, anyway. I went back into that guy's bathroom and pissed all over his shower curtains." Neji took a drink of his Coke, smacked his lips, and reclined back on the chair. "So, yeah. Almost died in Mexico."

"It isn't like that's something new." Sasuke commented. "God really must love you, somehow, you fucking heathen."

Neji laughed heartily and shook his head in agreement. "How pissed off would you think Hidan would get if I told him that his fucking god loved me more than him?"

Sasuke stared stoically. "You would get fucked in the ass…"

"I'm all right with that," Neji said with a wink.

"Let me finish. You would get fucked in the ass with that _scythe _he has."

"Even better! Use the blood as lubricant!" Neji roared bodaciously, laughing even harder.

"You're sick." Sasuke shook his head and laughed softly to himself, taking another sip. "I wish your family could see you talk like this. You're the exact opposite when they're around."

"Please. My uncle would get off on hearing me talk about fucking bitches with AIDS."

"I thought you said you didn't fuck her."

"I didn't! Thanks to Naruto." Neji let out a long sigh of relief, and rubbed his crotch.

"Christ, cut that out." Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose and debated throwing the cup at him.

Neji laughed, showing teeth. "How was your little date with Uzumaki?"

Sasuke let out an irritated sigh. "It wasn't a date." _I wish._ "We walked around the mall and begged for cash. Then I think I fell asleep and he drove me home."

Neji's eyes widened. "Woah! Stop right there! He didn't make you walk?"

"… Would he have?"

"Shit, he's done it to me enough."

"… Hn." Ba-dump. What could that mean? "A-anyway…"

"Yeah?"

"He took me home, and woke me up-"

"YOU TWO FUCKED?"

…

"WHAT?"

Neji leaned almost all the way back in his chair laughing. "I almost expected you to say 'How did you know!'"

"You are SO puerile." Sasuke sniffed.

"Hey, boarding school for rich cockstains learned you something after all."

"Oh, shut up."

Neji giggled again, and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his coat pocket. "C'mon, let's go out on the porch."

"All right." They got up from the table, and went outside. Neji leaned over the bar connecting two support beams and lit the cigarette. Sasuke sat on the chair. The table next to the chair had the ash tray on it.

"You're so stupid," Sasuke said, looking at the filthy thing.

"Why's that? Neji asked, finding that he'd lit the filter.

"… No reason."

"Don't make accusations without evidence, it's not nice." Neji puffed on the cigarette to get it going, and began the sweet suckling of tobacco pig's smoky teat.

Sasuke averted his nose from the smell. "What's Naruto's problem, anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he told me to get out of the car at one point-"

"Big surprise."

"And so I did."

"Pansy."

"…"

"Keep going."

"No, you're being a dick."

"Fine, I'll stop."

"Good boy. Well, he came back, and said, 'Never do that again'."

"That was a _horrible _Naruto impression."

"Fuck you."

"How hard?"

"You wouldn't be able to take it."

"I see that as a challenge. I will remember this, sugartits."

Sasuke grumbled and shook his head. "Pervert. Look, I just wanted to see if you'd know, since you and him are pretty much twins."

"This is true."

"Please?"

"Oh, my! Is this the mighty Uchiha princess begging? Oh, stop, you're giving me a raging hard-on." Neji snickered and flicked the ashes.

"I'm leaving."

"Sassy."

Sasuke got up.

"All right, Jesus, don't get your panties in a bunch! See, the thing with him is," Neji paused to take a drag off his cigarette. "That he either wants you all to himself, or he doesn't want you at all. He's kind of possessive in that way."

_Kind of? _Sasuke thought, slightly exasperated. "Then… What does it mean when he isn't… romantic with you at all?" He spoke slowly, trying to make it seem cool and casual without being suspicious.

Neji snorted. "'At all'?" He repeated mockingly. "The man's a whore, he's romantic with EVERYONE."

Sasuke looked down. "Yeah. I know." He was quiet. It struck him hard whenever he was forced to acknowledge that what he secretly held special, love and romance, Naruto held for the utmost granted. Naruto did NOT care.

* * *

"Why do I care?" Naruto mumbled into his pillow, pretending to be asleep so that his nan wouldn't wake him up… Fat chance. With any luck, she was sleeping off a hangover. That gave him a few hours just to be lazy. He tried not to close his eyes, for when he did, horrendous images filled his head.

For instance, the soft, loving look in Sasuke's eyes when he looked at him. How soft Sasuke's hands felt when they had rested briefly on either side of Naruto's scarred face that one fateful night. In a fit of what Naruto suspected, with amusement, to be suppressed dominance, Sasuke had crashed those soft, feminine lips against Naruto's chapped ones. Naruto remembered it clearly, even though he was ultimately wasted. Of course, he had immediately taken him into his arms, and eventually, into the bedroom.

Now, Naruto regretted nothing. He had vandalised the hell out of the school he used to attend, drawing spirals and arrows. On a dare, he'd spray painted "Eat pussy" in huge letters on the side.

The first and last time he saw his papi in Mexico? Even though it was almost like looking into a mirror; he was the spitting image of his father in almost every way besides the scars on Naruto's cheeks and the difference in tattoos. He had shoved his father down so that Minato was looking up at him. Naruto had spit right in between the drug lord's eyes, growled a fearful "_Chinga tu puta madre, maricon_," and walked back to his car, not caring how many guns were trained on him at that moment, or what happened next.

But as he pushed his head farther into the pillow, something was twanging at his heartstrings. This something was what normal people would call a conscience.

What the all knowing, godly, tough as nails Naruto regretted was that he had left as soon as he saw daylight that morning. The secret he denied to himself was that before he finally fell asleep, he would stretch his arms out and hug the air around him, believing that if he squeezed hard enough, the slightly smaller boy would be nestled to his chest.

Naruto had never loved anyone outside of his family. He had many, many flings, dated that Haruno bitch for almost a year… But that wasn't love. Love was something you could actually cherish. He cherished his nan, Tsunade. He cherished his gramps, Jiraiya.

He was afraid to learn to cherish Sasuke.


	3. Happiness Goes On

Please read and review! Please tell others that this story is back!

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Naruto! If I did, all the shuriken and whatnot would be replaced with donuts and eclairs.

* * *

Naruto woke up, not feeling at ALL like P Diddy. It was mid-afternoon, maybe. He grunted and rolled over on his side; he was lying on his belly. He groped at his bedside table, searching for his cellphone. The first time he wrapped his hand around something metal, it was the alarm clock. Naruto huffed and tossed it away, banging his hand on the table now. His hand yet again enclosed around something small and metal, and this time it was his prize.

He squinted to look at the time on the screen, because fuck clocks. It was indeed almost 2 pm. Naruto flipped open the phone, and his eyes widened at the flood of text messages he had gotten in the 15 hour or so time span. He flipped through them – they were all from the same number. Only a few of them:

"LYK HI LO"

"OMG NARUTO!CUNT LOL U SHU"

"LETS DATE LLLOOOOOOOOOG"

"U MEMBER LOL HOW WE FFFFFUCKKKHEDDDDD HERPA D"

"HGEAOH.. "

"PENIS"

"OLIVE GA"

And the last, which was sent a few hours after:

"Please, please ignore all of those text messages. That was all Neji. I'm so sorry. – Sasuke"

Naruto rubbed his tired eyes. He closed his phone, and stuffed his head back into the pillow.

* * *

EARLIER…

"GIVE IT BACK!" Sasuke hollered as he scrambled over Neji's couch to get to him, waving his arms.

"No!" Neji squealed, twirling around, his long hair trailing behind him. "DEEEEEEAAAR NAAAAY-ROOO-TOOOOE, IIIII LLLLOOOOOOOVEEEEE YOU." He drawled out his words as he typed messages onto Sasuke's expensive phone.

"BASTARD!" Sasuke tackled Neji to the ground. "I'm gonna rip your fucking hair out!" Grab. *Send!* Neji cooed with delight and kicked and flailed until he was free once more.

"'NEJI'S CACK IS 500 TYMES BIGGRAR THAN URS. L OOOOO L FAG.' Send!" Neji chirruped delightfully as he continually pressed the send button.

"POOP!"

"TUBGIRL!"

"SWEATY MAN CLEAVAGE!"

Neji laughed like a giddy fucking schoolgirl, dancing and ducking just out of Sasuke's reach. Years of boxing and fight club made him one hell of a fighter, and speed was his forte. He leaped on top of a table, effectively knocking over some dishes. "Hey, sweetcakes," he crooned to poor furious Sasuke, "I'm going to ask him out to Olive Garden for you!"

Sasuke's eyes widened and his scowl darkened. "I will knock your fucking teeth in," he spoke fluidly, with the rage of a thousand men.

"Don't act like that's not what you want," Neji taunted. He was currently tapping out random letters and symbols and sending them periodically. Spamspamspam.

"What the hell's your problem!" Sasuke screeched.

"UGH, you sound like my mother!" Neji whined, holding the phone high above his head as Sasuke made a grab for it.

"Haven't you done enough damage?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes, looking up at Neji.

"I'm only trying to help, you big girl's blouse."

"What if he thinks that it's me? What if he fucking tracks me down and throttles me because he thinks I spammed up his phone?"

"Then he must have some crazy anger issues, man."

"That's not my point!"

"Then what is your point?"

"Give me back my god damned phone!" Sasuke kicked the table, and Neji wobbled.

"Jee-sus! Speaking of anger issues…!" Neji complained. "Fine, here, you want it back so damn hard." Neji threw the phone against the wall, the wall being on the other side of the room. "Did I do that?" Neji mewled, putting his hand to his mouth. "Oh, shame." He leaped down from the table.

Sasuke shamefully went to go get it. "My pride is viciously wounded, Neji," he said simply, the undertone of anger prominent.

"You'll live." Neji flipped over the head of the couch and landed on the cushions. "Are you going home or staying here?"

Good question. Sasuke looked at the clock, because fuck phones, and noticed that it was getting pretty late.

"I guess I'm staying here." Sasuke stuffed the phone back into his pocket. He would attempt to rectify the damage done later.

"Sweet." Neji grinned at Sasuke.

* * *

PRESENTLY...

"Just do it." Neji prodded Sasuke's arm.

"No." Sasuke grunted and batted Neji's hand away.

"Do it."

"No!"

A beat.

"Do iiittt…" Neji drawled in a low whisper.

"NO!"

Sasuke was fussing over his phone, opening it and closing it, claiming to be checking the time. He tossed it from hand to hand, staring at it intently.

Neji and Sasuke were sitting on his couch. Neji was peering over Sasuke's shoulder, watching him fidget.

"Text him again." The poking and prodding and so-called encouragement was irking Sasuke. It wasn't like he didn't WANT to, for Chrissakes. It was just…

"Do it, or I'm doing it for you," Neji threatened. He reached out for the phone and Sasuke slunk to the far end of the couch.

"No, you're not. I'm not giving you my phone." Sasuke crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, gripping the phone tightly.

"Who said you're going to give it to me?" Neji grinned and slid to Sasuke. Sasuke grunted in reply.

"Hn."

"But seriously. What have you got to lose? If he remembers your name, then he's definitely at least friend material." Neji was fond of slipping back and forth between joking and serious. One never could really know if he was serious while he was joking, or vice versa. Sasuke swore that he had two personalities and wasn't telling anyone. It was only a matter of time before Neji became cannibalistic and grew leaves.

"I will not be stuck in the friend zone," Sasuke promised. "If there's one thing Uchihas are known for…"

"It's their blatant homosexuality?" Neji finished with a smirk. This comment earned him a Charlie Horse.

"No," Sasuke hissed. "We will not stop until we get what we want. Fucker."

Neji laughed. "You know, I'm going to love seeing the outcome of this."

"I bet you will, you sadistic git." Sasuke rolled his eyes and opened his phone once more. He flicked through his contacts and got to 'Dobe'. He smiled very, very softly and opened a new message.

Neji watched him as he pressed the letter keys, tapping out a message.

_Hey. Don't worry, it's Sasuke. How's your day so far?_

He slipped the phone back into his pocket, refusing to meet Neji's eyes. He could feel the crazy boy's smug smirk.

"Destiny," Neji said simply, reclining on the couch. Sasuke said nothing.

"It's destiny that you and Naruto-" Neji began to explain after a pause.

"I didn't ask for an elaboration." Sasuke cut him off swiftly, like an executioner's axe.

"You're so bitchy."

The two boys laid lazily on the couch, saying nothing, doing nothing. This was common practise for them when they were together. The only movement between the two was belly scratches and eye rubbing. An eternity of blissful silence passed before Neji's uncle and caretaker called for him.

"Neji!"

Groaning, Neji sat up. "Mande?" He yelled back, rising to his feet. His bare feet padded against the wooden floor as he went to his uncle, leaving Sasuke alone to twiddle his thumbs.

Sasuke delved heavily in his thoughts in his friend's absence. Care to take a guess on who he was thinking about?

The same person who just texted him back.

The barbershop backing and the prominent voice of Billy Joel danced out of his phone's speaker, knocking Sasuke out of his thoughts.

**Maybe this won't last very long****  
****But you feel so right****  
****And I could be wrong****  
****Maybe I've been hoping too hard****  
****But I've gone this far****  
****And it's more than I hoped for**

**Who knows how much further we'll go on****  
****Maybe I'll be sorry when you're gone****  
****I'll take my chances****  
****I forgot how nice romance is****  
****I haven't been there for the longest time**

Sasuke listened to the song before flipping open the phone to see who had messaged him, although he had set that ring tone for just one person. Maybe he made a mistake and set it as his regular ringtone. His heart skipped a beat and his eyes widened as he saw the sender's name.

_Dobe._

His breath caught in his throat as he stabbed at the 'view' button. The text read:

_Idfk im asleep._

Sasuke almost audibly laughed. His body was going into overdrive for such a simple illiterate response. His fingers still shaking, he tapped out a response.

_Texting me while you're asleep? Damn, you're talented._

Less than two minutes ticked by when he got a reply.

_Rite? I realy should be doin hw. lol_

Sasuke snorted.

_You do homework, dobe?_

_Fuck you. i have math._

_Need any help?_

_like you could. it's calc_

… _Calc? As in, calculus?_

_yes teme. dont act so surprised I told you I was smrt._

_Like a fox._

_Egssactly._

_English isn't your best subject, is it._

_im better at it than math._

… _You're shitting me._

_no thats gross. Jajaja_

_Jajaja?_

_In mexico h is j. ha is ja._

_Oh._

_Yea._

"All right, I have to do chores." Neji's voice startled Sasuke. He looked up at his friend, shoving the phone into his pocket. "So," he continued, "get the hell out of my house."

"And go where?" Sasuke sniffed.

"Back to your house? How the fuck am I supposed to know?" Neji shrugged. "Just get out. I have to do Mexican stuff. Clean out gutters, scoop dog shit, sell meth."

Sasuke shook his head. "Fine, fine. Have fun selling your drugs."

"Hey, they're not mine." Neji grinned as he shoved Sasuke out the door.

Sasuke walked off of the porch and to the mailbox. He certainly didn't want to go to his empty house, and he was sure that Itachi enjoyed the privacy anyway. Sasuke pulled his phone back out and stared at it. He sighed, and flipped it open, repeating the process of finding Naruto on his phone. He pressed the green call button and started walking to the food market that was literally (and conveniently) across the street from Neji's house.

Naruto hardly wondered why Sasuke wasn't texting back.

But the fact that he still wondered irked him. "Stop," he told himself firmly. He pulled himself out of bed, his naked form there for all to see. He stretched and yawned. It was 3. Naruto groaned, and his hand ritualistically scratched his balls. Lovely.

He leaned back and heard his back crack. He was in the middle of pulling his arm back when his phone went off… repeatedly.

"Son of a bitch…" He muttered turning and snatching the phone. He opened it and hit the speakerphone button, not bothering to see who it was.

"What, what do you want? We don't serve cow tippers in the morning. Freedom toast is a possibility." Naruto grunted at the phone, quoting a movie. He kicked his drawers open, looking for somewhat clean clothes.

"… What?"

Naruto gritted his teeth. That smooth voice could only be one person. "Fuck, what do you want?" He hid the fact that he was happy it was him calling.

"A ride." Ever so blunt.

"Get me a bottle of tequila and maybe I'll consider it."

"I can't buy alcohol." He sounded slightly confused. Naruto liked this.

"Then no ride." Naruto found some socks. At least it was a start.

"Naruto…"

"What?" He yanked the sock on.

"I can help you with your homework…"

"What makes you think you can? Calculus, remember?" Naruto rolled his eyes. It looked like he was going to have to reuse underwear again. Where the fuck did that thong come from?

"I'm an Uchiha."

"Aren't you fucking confident."

"You know it, babe." Naruto smirked. He refused to let Sasuke hear him laugh.

"All right, all right. Where the fuck are you at?"

"The Lowe's by Neji's house."

"Easy enough. Let me get dressed. Don't sweat your sweet little tuchas off," Naruto teased.

"… What on earth is a tuchas?"

"Yer ass!" Naruto chortled and hopped over (his leg was halfway through pants) to end the conversation. He got a good earful of Sasuke's appalled protests, smartly replied, "Don't be a woman!" and pressed the red button.

He sniggered to himself as he continued to dress. He didn't completely acknowledge it, but he knew that he would be thankful for the raven's company.

Naruto pulled into the grocery store's parking lot, smoking a cigarette. Peering through the open passenger window through his sunglasses, he saw Sasuke making his way gracefully to the car. He noted the people staring; whether it was at Sasuke, the car, or Sasuke going to the car he didn't know. Naruto noticed that Sasuke was wearing Neji's clothes – the infamous favourite Led Zepplin shirt and too-big pants.

"You forgot a belt."

"Hello, to you too," Sasuke said sarcastically, putting his seatbelt on. "I didn't think I would need one."

"You're too skinny. Why wouldn't you?" Naruto put the car in gear, puffing on the cancer stick.

"I don't really care." Sasuke crossed his arms and looked out the window. The rushing air blew back his bangs. Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto could see Sasuke's profile.

As he drove, he compared his face and Sasuke's face. Sasuke's profile was very sharp and pale, a perfect of Naruto's soft and rosy complexion. Sasuke had a long, pointed nose with the slightest curve at the tip, with slightly sallow cheeks, making his cheekbones more prominent. Everything on his face complimented each other; even his eyebrows were thin and sharp.

Naruto took a deep, calming smoke. Letting the smoke out, he spoke softly. "You're very beautiful."

Sasuke looked at him, his jet-black hair falling back into his face. "Excuse me?"

"Quit putting your hair in your face." Naruto finished the cigarette. Driving with his elbow, he stubbed the burning filter out on the scoop between his thumb and forefinger on his right hand. He gritted his teeth in pain, letting out a low hiss. Once it was out, he flicked the butt out of the window and drove on.

Sasuke stared in horror. "What the fuck was that?" His tone was that of bewilderment and anger.

"Are you blind?" Naruto's hand was shaking. He drove with his left hand now, keeping his right at bay.

Sasuke couldn't stop himself. He grabbed the twitching appendage and inspected it. His eyes were filled with worry. "What did you _do_ that for?"

"Wouldn't you like to know? It worked, so shut up." Naruto kept his eyes on the road, ignoring the simpering boy clutching his hand. He had done it for a reason, as he did all his stunts. Inflicting pain on himself made Sasuke forget about the compliment.

Sasuke traced around the burn with his long finger. He watched it turn red and he blew on it, trying to soothe the pain. "It's going to leave a scar," he commented, never looking away.

"Cool," Naruto said simply. He had made no attempt to rip his hand away from Sasuke's grasp, and they were almost to Naruto's house. It actually felt kind of good. Sasuke was cold, and yet again contrasted with his own passionate nature. Naruto was almost always warm. Sasuke was cold.

Naruto laced his fingers with Sasuke's, keeping him from going out the window as he flipped a bitch, going into his street. Finally, Naruto looked over at Sasuke. Sasuke looked back.

"Don't act like you're not confused."

"Quit ordering me around."

"Teme."

"Dobe."

Naruto only let go of Sasuke to park the car.

"I'm going to go run this under cold water." Naruto shook his hand at Sasuke. "Wait in my room or something." He led Sasuke inside and led him to his room. "I'm not sorry about the mess, live with it."

He left to the bathroom and shut the door. Might as well take a shit.

Sasuke stood awkwardly in Naruto's room. He had never been in there before. If he thought the unique smell of Naruto was overwhelming before, it was just mind-numbingly apparent now.

He sat on the blonde's messy bed and looked around. On the nightstand next to him there was a lamp, a phone charger, and two pictures in frames. Sasuke saw that one had a person completely ripped out of it. The only two was a baby and a woman. Sasuke assumed that it was Naruto and his mother. The second was of Naruto, but with a giant-breasted blonde woman and a white haired old man. Naruto wore a cheeky, wide grin as the man stared pointedly at the woman's breasts. She didn't notice then, because she was the only one looking at the camera, but Sasuke suspected that she noticed soon after.

Sasuke heard the sound of flushing and then water running. He sat in silence, waiting for Naruto to finish his business.

He walked into his room and sat next to Sasuke, the blister popped and shiny on his hand. Sasuke stared at it.

"So… I have to ask. What was with the hand holding?" Sasuke inquired, looking back up to Naruto.

"Is there a problem?" Naruto leaned back on the bed. His shirt crept up his torso, revealing a small portion of his tanned skin. He took his sunglasses off and chucked them to the side. His eyes were closed and his hands were behind his head.

"Well, no, but-"

"Then why are you questioning me?"

"Because it's completely unlike you."

"How do you know what's normal for me and what isn't? Maybe you should get to know me instead of forming an opinion based on the shit you hear." Naruto stayed calm and sharp, caustic with his words.

Although that was true, Sasuke was determined to win this little argument. "Don't bullshit me. We both know that you hate showing affection."

"In public and sober," Naruto added.

"Which you just were," Sasuke pointed out.

Their life seemed to be filled with long, awkward pauses.

"My backpack is over there." Naruto kicked his foot towards the closet.

"So?"

"Go get it."

"No."

"Get it now."

"Get it yourself, fatass."

"I'm lying down."

"I don't care. It's your shit."

"You're the guest."

"That doesn't make any sense. I'm the guest, so I shouldn't be doing anything."

"Well, you're already doing something."

"And what's that?"

"Bitching. So you might as well go get my god damned bag."

Sasuke scoffed, and lay down next to him.

"Isn't this funny?"

"What?"

"The second time we're in a bed together."

Naruto sat up. "Fuck you," he grunted as he shuffled to the closet. He walked in, snatched his bag and walked out.

Sasuke sat up as well, and began to clap.

Naruto cocked an eyebrow.

"Congratulations, you just came out of the closet." Sasuke's eyes sparkled with mirth, manifesting in a dirty smirk.

Naruto took the heavy calculus book out of the backpack and contemplated throwing it at him. Instead, he tossed it on the bed next to Sasuke and repeated himself. "Fuck you."

Sasuke allowed himself a tinkling laugh. "Come on, let's look at this." It was safe to say that he was having the best time he'd had in a while. He was a little scared, nervous, but he'd be damned if that hindered him.

Naruto took the book and opened it, then stopped. "Did you just … laugh?" He turned his head and looked at Sasuke, skepticism present.

"Yes."

Naruto chewed on his bottom lip, and then spoke again. "Sasuke Uchiha, the guy with a bug who made a nest in his ass… Laughed."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and clutched the edge of the bed. He was beginning to get annoyed. "Yes. Is there such a problem?"

"Do it again." Naruto leered at him, a dog-like grin stretching his face.

"You wish," Sasuke grumbled, pushing his face away like a child.

"Do it."

Déjà vu flicked Sasuke's nose in a taunting way. "No, I'm not going to. Drop it and tell me about your math."

Naruto stared at Sasuke with a serious, business-like sheen in his eye. He made a silent vow to have Sasuke laugh again by the end of their little escapade together. Sasuke did not like this look, and shoved his face away again.

Naruto laughed as he looked back to the textbook. He pretended to listen as Sasuke explained everything he already understood, nodding and going "Oh" every once in a while.

In reality, he was thinking - plotting. He would talk to Neji later; he was the only one Naruto trusted. It was to him that he would confide in, tell him his growing secret.

Naruto was studying Sasuke. He studied his body language, his eyes, and his mouth. His pert mouth. Naruto noticed that every once in a while, Sasuke would lick his lips, or nibble on the bottom one when he was concentrating on what the book said. He was just too _adorable_.

Naruto grew more and more interested in Sasuke. He never made this vocal or noticeable – God forbid Sasuke should think that he had a chance.

But as the minutes grew into hours, Naruto found that he was growing more and more entranced with Sasuke. He could, Naruto mentally admitted shamefully, see just why all the women he saw around Sasuke were so fucking infatuated with him.

He had to admit, it was purely a physical thing.

For now.

Yep, just pure lust.

Probably.

The homework was soon finished. Sasuke had scripted it on the paper, nice and precise. Naruto looked on in disapproval.

"You are such a tight ass."

"Now where have I heard that before…?"

Naruto ground his teeth. He didn't understand why Sasuke was so keen on bringing up that Night. "Your brother, probably."

Sasuke stared poison-tipped daggers into the top of Naruto's stupid skull. Naruto flinched. "You stupid fucking bastard."

The mere insinuation that Itachi would be doing things like _that_ to him was so fucking offensive to the point that Sasuke was reconsidering being in the same room with Naruto. He loved his older brother dearly and was not about to let some blond dick who thought he could say anything without repercussion get away with insulting the only family he had left.

"Don't you ever fucking even _think_ anything about my brother in that nature. You have no FUCKING idea." Sasuke's voice never rose about a shout; he spoke through ground teeth and curled lips. He did not get up or move at all. He stayed, glaring angrily at Naruto, profane things going through his head.

"Sorry." Naruto muttered. He pulled at the carpeting and looked to his side, still never looking to see felt... guilty. He then felt something hard hit his head, and his vision went blurry as his skull went hollow. There was a dull throbbing on the very top of his brain. "What the fffuck…?" His turned his head swiftly upwards, immediately regretting it when the movement quickly made him feel dizzy. While one of his hands splayed along the floor, his fingers brushed the textbook that had fallen. Sasuke had dropped it on his head.

"Shut your fucking mouth." Sasuke was still stoic and angry. His upper lip twitched, forming a snarl. The adoration that was usually in his eyes, that Naruto was so disgusted with, was completely gone. They were as everyone else saw them: Cold. Empty. The sort of eyes a person would give another when they are about to reject them with their mind and body.

"Fuck you, bastard, I said sorry!"

"Fuck _you_, you don't mean it." Sasuke's arm lifted and he pointed dramatically at the fumbling blond.

"I do, too!"

"Fucking don't lie to me." Sasuke's voice was barely more than a thick whisper.

Naruto pushed himself up onto the bed with one hand. His other was clutching his head. He dropped his voice to match Sasuke's, as if he himself didn't want to hear what he was about to say. "If I didn't mean it, I wouldn't have said it. You should know me well enough to at least know that my words are never empty. If I say something, I fucking mean it."

Fiery cerulean eyes bored into sombre onyx ones. Both boys waited for the other to crack and beg forgiveness.

Sasuke chewed on the inside of his cheek. He was furious, but he wasn't one to let his emotions rule his actions.

But how _dare _Naruto call him a liar over an extremely serious subject? "I don't know how you could make such a crass 'joke' and not expect me to react."

Naruto looked down, clearly uncomfortable. He was a man who never had to own up to conflicts he began. "I didn't think-"

"Yeah, you didn't." Sasuke cut him off. The anger in his eyes lessened, and he grew less rigid.

"I'm sorry. Don't make me say it a third time or I'll be sent back to the plane of existence I crawled out from," Naruto joked, relaxing as well.

* * *

It surprised them both how comfortable they were with each other afterwards, Sasuke more so than Naruto. Sasuke was not one for socialising, not at all. There were business parties he attended where he was politely sociable, but that was to further improve his name's image. He was a quiet man at school; the only person he allowed in his bubble was Neji. Neji was his polar opposite in the way that he never shut up. Naruto and Neji went hand in hand as far as boisterousness went. Sasuke had once said that God gave him two ears for a reason –one for Neji to deafen and the other for Naruto.

Then, Naruto had looked at him like he was crazy, and said flat-out, "I don't talk to you."

Now, Naruto was clutching Sasuke's hand as though it were his lifeline. They lay on the bed together, talking, making jokes. Sasuke had came very close to leaning in and giving Naruto a short peck, but he stopped himself, afraid to ruin the moment the two were having.

Naruto was wishing that Sasuke would kiss him already so he could make a decision, once and for all.

Unfortunately, there was no way the other was making the first move.


	4. Pizza Stained Diary

This is a short entry in Naruto's diary, a look into his personal feelings.

Read and review! I love you guys!

* * *

Beware the Ides of March, 2010

Shed behind house (not the best place to keep paper)

Mr. Umino took me out to get ramen again. I'm pretty sure that it's illegal to do that. On the other hand, it's free ramen.

Sunglasses-trenchcoat Kid in class found a huge fucking bug at lunch. If I wasn't so tough, I would have peed myself. Many times.  
Like a multiple orgasm, but with urine. If that's not attractive, I don't know what is.

I really should be writing that report for Jiraiya... Fuck it, I'm his favourite student. I could finger paint on a paper with spaghetti and I'd get an A. Knowing him, it'd be because he found tits in the noodles.  
My teachers are fucking freaks, but I'm pretty sure I've said this before.

As long as I'm on the subject of school... I'm graduating this year.  
About time, too – High school has been the best 5 years of my life. I don't know if I'm having a graduation party or not. I've gotten invitations to some, and they're the real deal. Parent supervised, no booze, at some ritzy junction, almost all white people... It's fair to say that there's no way I'm going. You know, diary, maybe I should have one. I'll hand out glo-sticks. Hell yes, I'm going to plan this.

Not now, though. Don't worry diary, you're my number one. Oh, yes you are. Yes you are. Squoodgee woodgee woodgee woo!

Don't give me that look, baby cakes; you know you're the only one for me.

For now.

Oh, I didn't say anything, diary.

...

Oh, fine. You know just the right ways to get information out of me, don't you?

You know quite well about the misadventures of Sakura and me. Remember how I said that I'd never love again, and everything from then on would only be a fling and that no one could compare to my Fairy?

I suppose I lied. Guess what? He doesn't have a uterus! At least, I don't think so. He can be as frigid as an angry woman sometimes, diary.  
It's a good thing this is private. I'd hate to sound like a fag in public.

He looks at me like he cares about me. It's like how Tsunade and Jiraiya look at me, but with a different kind of love. The kind of love that I yearn for. As much as I've tried to stay away from him, convincing myself that each time I saw him would be the last, it doesn't work. He always shows up at every party, ever y house, every fucking restaurant.

Maybe I don't really like him, and I only want him for the love that he's willing to give. Could that be it, diary? Could I be that alone? If that were truly the reason, it's defining proof that I am just as bitter and dark and selfish as I make myself out to be. I would be his little parasite. Maybe that's what I'll call myself – The Parasite. His Parasite.

Now that I think about it, I kind of want it to be like that.  
I mean, I made a promise to myself, right? Sakura was the closing point in my life, right?  
Come on, diary, you're harder to convince than myself.

What'll happen if I do end up going steady with him? I would ruin his life. I mean, I've just barely gotten my own life on the right track... I'm not as fucking miserable as I used to be.

It would be a repeat of Sakura. I would push all my negativity and jealous possessiveness onto him... Then, he'll start to hate himself.  
Sakura's lucky that she's smart; otherwise she wouldn't have broken it off before she went too far off the edge.

Maybe I should quit being a fag and man up. I've seen the empty way Sasuke looks into oblivion when he thinks he's being ignored. I know those eyes that hide the life within. Maybe he needs someone to pull the life back out. At least, keep the life contained within him. I don't think the boy can get any deader, diary.

Note to self: idea for kinky roleplay – Frankenstein's monster and Dr. Frankenstein.

You'd think it would bug me how different we are, diary. You know how perceptive I am. Here's what I've noticed:

His skin is cold and pale. All he needs now is to have glitter poured on him; if we sent him in the mall, he would get mobbed. (Like fucking fuck I would ever let that happen.) ... And there's the jealousy and possessiveness rearing its ugly head already. God damn.  
Outside of Neji's house, he has no face. He wears the same emotionless mask you'd see on a psychopath, a prisoner, a businessman, or a lawyer.  
He bites his lips when he's thinking. I bite my tongue.  
Despite that, he's overwhelmingly affectionate. Diary, I am about to tell you a secret that no one else will ever know. Ever. If you tell anyone, diary, I'll chop your fucking cock off. Pinky promise. PINKY PROMISE. Okay... We cuddled on my bed. No kissing, no fondling, definitely no fucking... Just soft touches, little smiles, and hand holding. It felt good. God, something else – that Night (you know the one I'm talking about squire, don't act dumb) I held him afterwards. I didn't mention that before, but it happened. I held him and fell asleep with him.  
Once I realised how content I was feeling, I got scared and left. I found his clothes and folded them for him... And I drove off.

I would love to shoot him. Not in either way you're thinking of, you sick fuck. I mean with my camera. He would be perfect. He's fucking beautiful.

You know, since he's so alone, I wonder if he'd be jealous and possessive and protective over me, too. He'd certainly have enough reasons to – I can't keep the bitches off of me.

All he would have to do is ask. You know, fifth time's the charm.

Neurotically Yours,

His Parasite,

Naruto Uzumaki


	5. Further Down the River

I think this is the best (and longest) chapter thus far. Please read and review! I cherish hearing all of your guys' feedback.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto!

* * *

It was a secret that Naruto and Sasuke now made daily visits with each other. In fact, Sasuke now saw Naruto as much as he saw Neji. They talked frequently with each other, although they had stopped during class when Naruto almost got suspended (again). After that little mishap, Naruto called Sasuke during passing period and whinged at him for the whole 10 minutes.

Both Sasuke and Naruto were content in keeping their 'friendship' a secret, Naruto more than Sasuke. Naruto now held the job of picking Sasuke up from school – an hour after school let out. By then, everyone would be gone and no one would notice them. Sasuke wasn't ready for Naruto to visit his humble mansion, but he didn't say it out loud. Naruto was observant when it came to people, and he inferred it from Sasuke's body language. The boy might have been able to keep a straight poker face 24/7, but there was no way he could hide the emotion in his eyes... Or maybe it was just that Naruto had grown to be able to read the other boy's body language.

They almost always followed the same schedule: Leave San Guadalupe Secondary, arrive to Konoha Preparatory, get Sasuke, bitch to each other about maths and creepy teachers, occasionally out run a cop, park, calm Sasuke down from the following traumatising car experience, go to Naruto's room and continue their conversation over food, drink, and video games, then drop Sasuke off a few blocks away from his house. They were at step 6.

Sasuke treated Naruto's house with the utmost respect. He always picked up after himself and did the dishes. He scolded Naruto when he left the table filthy and forced him to pick up some of his habits. Tsunade and Jiraiya had their eyes bugging out when Naruto cleared the table and washed after they had dinner together. They considered it to be a sign of the devil, leading Naruto to tell Sasuke this:

"You're the devil." Naruto flopped onto his bed, automatically making room for Sasuke. Sasuke kicked off his shoes and lay next to him before answering.

"Excuse me?" Sasuke answered him coolly, although his heart raced from being in such close proximity to Naruto, as per usual.

"You've turned me into a housewife," Naruto grunted, pulling Sasuke closer to him. He slipped his arm over Sasuke, holding the slighter boy to him nonchalantly. His other arm was used to prop himself up; his hand cradling his head, his elbow digging into mattress.

Naruto was the definition of a misanthrope. He _hated _people. Ironically enough, this didn't stop him from going to gatherings and fucking people. But ... after he got closer to Sasuke, he didn't feel right unless he had the Uchiha near him. Sasuke acted as a safety blanket for Naruto. He felt like a vampire, a sick parasite, feeding off the boy's life force. Sasuke didn't seem to mind at all, welcoming Naruto's touches and presence.

Surprisingly, Sasuke had not made a move. He figured that since Naruto had refused him all those times before, any new time would be the same. He had gotten into Naruto's personal circle, and he didn't want to ruin that.

Sasuke laid his head next to Naruto's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. He compared it to his own thundering one, a light pink spreading over his face. "I don't see a problem in that," he replied, holding his arms close to his chest. The one thing that Sasuke didn't like was that Naruto shoved him away if Sasuke tried to touch back. A simple hand on his upper arm made him flinch and glare.

"Besides," Sasuke added when Naruto grunted. "You're a walking contradiction."

"And I ain't got no right," Naruto sang, a smirk on his face.

"What?"

"Nothing."

There was a pause. It wasn't an uncomfortable or awkward silence – the boys shared a small smile.

"You know, you have a pretty nice voice for a guy," Sasuke said, trying not to focus on Naruto's plump pink lips.

"'For a guy'?" Naruto repeated. "What does that mean, then?"

"I don't know. I just like listening to girls sing more than I do guys sing." Sasuke shrugged the best he could under Naruto's grip.

Naruto in turn groaned. "Are you kidding me? You're a man and you're a bloody _feminist_."

"I am, not!" Sasuke huffed. "I just think that a girl's voice is prettier!"

"Good! Men aren't supposed to be pretty." Naruto sneered.

"My brother is pretty," Sasuke defended, over-exaggerating his words with mock offence.

"Your brother's a fag," Naruto snorted. Sasuke grunted.

"My brother's sexual preference is none of your concern. I'm certain he's asexual, anyway." Sasuke sniffed contentiously.

"What, like a flower?"

"Not really, more like a person who is asexual."

Naruto removed his arm from around Sasuke and flipped onto his belly. His head was nestled into the pillow, his arms crossed beneath the pillow. Sasuke assumed the position that Naruto just had, although his arm was free.

Sasuke loved the time that he and Naruto spent together. It made him so happy. "How was school?" He asked softly, his voice almost a whisper.

"Eh." Naruto's spoke into his shoulder; his voice was muffled. "Could have been better. Then again, it's school. I don't expect much." He sighed, and mumbled something that sounded like, 'fucking freshman'. "How was your day at Frilly Pants School for the Intellectually Superior?"

"It was fine, thank you." Sasuke's ton was almost icy, but laced with good humour acknowledging that it was just a joke. "I don't make fun of your school, so don't make fun of mine." This was true – Sasuke's_ friends_ made fun of Naruto's school.

"Whatever." Naruto shifted slightly, rocking the bed. Sasuke closed his eyes and breathed through his nose. They had once fallen asleep together. It was inevitable, on days like this. Rays of warming sunshine shone through the window directly onto the bed. Sasuke's skin was very fair, so he wasn't particularly fond of it. Naruto, however, loved it. "I don't have to waste my money on a tanning bed," he had once bragged. "I've got all the sun I need in my room."

Naruto's black shirt soaked up the sun, warming his back. Sasuke was in school uniform, white button up shirt and black slacks (tie optional), so it didn't affect him as much. As Naruto grew warmer, his eyelids grew heavier. Sasuke noticed Naruto's breathing starting to slow.

His hand hovered over the feisty blonde's back. He had caught himself before he actually touched Naruto. As his gaze flickered between his hand and the shirt, he began a mental battle. _If he wakes up, then there'll be Hell to pay... _his Paranoia told him.

**What? One look at your pretty little face, Mr. Wonderful, and he'll back off. **His Confidence shrugged, swaggering around in Sasuke's mind. His Paranoia stayed in the back of his mind, muttering and shaking his head.

Sasuke held his breath, deciding to listen to his Confidence. He let his pale fingertips glide over the thin, well worn fabric, effectively stroking Naruto's back. As his fingers explored the sleeping boy, Sasuke breathed easy. He laid his head on Naruto's muscled upper arm, closing his own eyes. He could hear Naruto let sleepy little mewls of appreciation slip out under his breath. Sasuke stroked up and down, skating over his blonde's spine and through tense shoulder blades. Naruto squirmed and wriggled slightly under his touch.

The sensation made Naruto want to sleep, yet stay awake at the same time. He never knew someone could be talented with their hands in such an innocent and romantic way. Reluctantly, he flipped back over on his side and scooped Sasuke up. He hovered over him, nearly standing on his knees. Their faces were inches apart.

Sasuke bit his lip. He and Naruto looked into each other eyes, seeing emotions reflected between them. They both looked at each other with slight confusion, hesitance, and fright. They both were extremely proud creatures; they just didn't _do _fright. In fact, it wasn't even in their vocabulary. That would explain why they both were unsure of what was going on and what they felt in the pit of their stomachs.

"This..." Naruto began in a whisper, his cerulean eyes half open in lazy concentration. "This is becoming very difficult." His tone was hushed; his words danced on his breath, ghosting over Sasuke's lips and chin.

"Then let's make it easier," Sasuke crooned daringly. There was no doubt that Naruto's brash nature was rubbing off on him. Sasuke had noticed this, even in the way he carried himself at school, and he honestly kind of liked it. The boys inched closer and closer towards each other. Sasuke's breath smelled deliciously of spearmint. The green gum was stuck to his back molar, forgotten. Naruto's breath reeked of tobacco, but Sasuke didn't mind. He could hardly think, except about what was coming next.

Their noses nuzzled in a cute Eskimo kiss. They were so close...

"Oh, God dammit, Naruto...!"

The boys sprang apart, their hearts going a mile a minute. Their heads snapped to look at the door, where a busty woman holding a bottle of what suspiciously looked like alcohol was leaning against the frame. A miffed expression was on her face. "How many times have I told you? Shut the door!"

"Maybe if you and the Pervy Hermit weren't such nosy gits, we wouldn't have this problem." Naruto kept his position, albeit his hold on Sasuke much looser.

"Our house, our rules, brat." The woman drank from the bottle. "Look, I'm going to put some music on so I don't have to hear the thumpin'."

By this point, Sasuke was the colour of his favourite food. He behaved like a fish; opening and closing his mouth, his eyes wide. The woman in green looked once at him and snorted. "You've finally got a pretty one, then," she said bluntly.

"Yes, nan, _thank you, _nan," Naruto said through gritted teeth. Sasuke looked up at him, noticing that his hands had ended up on the edgy boy's shoulders. Naruto was genuinely annoyed that they were intruded upon. Sasuke squeezed his shoulders in a soothing way and was pleasantly rewarded with Naruto holding him tighter.

"Now, would you _please._..?" Naruto trailed off, his intense blue eyes digging into his grandmother's brown.

"All right, all right." Tsunade waved her free hand impatiently and walked off, her heels making 'click-clack' noises against the tile. Almost immediately, 'Hooked On A Feeling' by Blue Swede began to play obnoxiously loud.

"Are you fucking KIDDING me?" Naruto bellowed, dropping Sasuke on the bed. He forgot about the sultry Uchiha and leaped off of the bed, stomping towards the door. "YOU CAN'T HUMP TO THAT! COCK BLOCKER!" He slammed the door, but resounding "Ooga ooga oogachaka ooga ooga oogachaka"s pumped through the hollow wooden door.

"Crazy old bat," Naruto muttered under his breath. He turned back to Sasuke, who was struggling to keep a straight face. Naruto scoffed. "Oh? What's so funny?" Naruto himself grew a devious smirk and leaped back onto the bed, and on Sasuke.

"I'm about to quote the worst movie in the world, but..." Sasuke paused, steadying himself on the rickety bed. "Your mood swings are giving me whiplash."

Naruto laughed bodaciously. "You would know, Queen of the Tampons." He sat up and grabbed Sasuke's leg, pulling him easily towards his lap. Naruto acknowledged that there was now mariachi playing in the background. Sasuke grumbled and pushed himself up, supporting his weight with his arms. Naruto leaned over him, placing his dark hand on Sasuke's strikingly pale one, a mischievous sparkle in his eye. "Let's dance."

"Wh-?" Sasuke found himself yanked off the bed and into a suddenly standing Naruto's arms. "Do you mean ballroom...?"

"No, gringo, we're going to salsa!" Naruto's Cheshire grin only spelt bad news. He held Sasuke round the waist with one arm, his groin pressed against Sasuke's bony hip. He held Sasuke's hand in the other, lacing their fingers together.

"Do you even know how to salsa?" Naruto asked him in a mocking tone.

"Hn."

"I'll take that as a no," Naruto scoffed. "I'm not a good teacher, so just go with it." He hummed along to the mariachi, occasionally singing under his breath, going slow to accommodate Sasuke. He gradually picked up speed as he noticed Sasuke picking up the movements.

"You're a pretty fast learner," he commented, twirling his raven counterpart.

Sasuke fell into Naruto's arms in a fluid movement, clutching at the broad shoulder. "My whole family is known for being able to learn by sight," he said smugly.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "You're a prideful little bastard, aren't ya," he stated flatly.

"And you, dobe," Sasuke drawled, purposefully stepping on Naruto's toe. Naruto howled overdramatically, flinging Sasuke away to nurse his foot. "Dick head!" He pouted.

Sasuke smirked so hard it was almost a smile. "D'aw..." He crooned, approaching the huddled-up Naruto. "Did my little Naru get hurt?" His voice was that of a gushing mother's giving her baby cyanide. Instead of the hostile retort that Sasuke was expecting, Naruto swivelled around on his butt and gave Sasuke a huge pair of blue puppy eyes.

"Yes..." Naruto pouted. He thrust out his foot childishly. "Kiss it better!"

Sasuke's face dropped. "That's disgusting."

Naruto whinged frivolously, but pulled himself up. With a dramatic limp, he loped his way to Sasuke. He smushed the slightly confused boy's face together, and snuffled. "You hurt me, and now you won't fix it. You are so mean to me, teme." He shook Sasuke's head back and forth in between each word, groaning out the sentence as if it pained him to say it.

"Phine," Sasuke managed to spit out. He forced his face out of Naruto's grip and took a step forward. He wrapped his arms around the theatrical blonde, pressing his cheek against the clothed shoulder, his chest against the others. "Is this enough to make you stop bitching?" Sasuke smirked into Naruto's shirt and was greeted with yet another surprise.

Naruto wrapped his arms around the skinny boy, pulling him closer. He nestled his own scarred cheek into gelled hair, inhaling the scent of overpriced shampoo. He had never noticed the other boy's scent before now. There was something fruity, pun not intended, mingled with soap. There was also the slight scent of musty classroom, but it was coupled with the smell of a room that was overly cleaned and sanitised. Naruto closed his eyes, trying to understand everything.

He couldn't begin to put into words how confusing this all was for him. Naruto had never gotten this close, this intimate, with anyone in such a long time. It scared him, but paradoxically, he didn't want to let go.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was content in the familiar and loved smell that Naruto radiated: Cheap cologne, stale weed, and failure.

Finally, Naruto grabbed a hold of himself long enough to murmur, "Yes... This is perfect."

"Maybe I'll do it more often," Sasuke teased, partially speaking into the Megadeth shirt.

That caught Naruto off guard. He processed it slowly, but kept Sasuke close. He bit his lip in thought, and then breathed. "Let's sleep," he suggested; it was the first thing to come to his head. Sasuke agreed enthusiastically. The anime version of Dennis the Menace pushed Sasuke away, albeit gently. Considerably deflated, he shuffled to his bed and flopped on it, lazily forming himself into comfort. He half-heartedly patted the space next to him, inviting Sasuke to join. He complied, curling next to his would-be lover.

There, they slept, one more peacefully than the other. Constantly stirred awake by uncertainties, Naruto would pat Sasuke on the head, brushing his hair away from his face, half-listening to the burbles and mumbles that came out of his mouth.

Naruto felt sick- sick with himself. He couldn't understand how this boy slipped past his cliché-like built up guards. Maybe it was just because Sasuke was persistent... Naruto dipped down, smelling Sasuke's berry hair. Maybe Naruto was maturing. He closed his eyes, losing himself in the scent of the sleeping boy. He shifted himself so that he was even closer to Sasuke; Naruto couldn't feel close enough. His eyes still closed, he drew a shaky breath. His tan arm slipped around Sasuke's thin waist.

Naruto didn't know what to do. He was at a loss. The new feeling, this feeling of protectiveness, jealousy, caring, concern, warmth all rolled into one that was being unloaded onto him by this skinny little rich kid... It blew his mind. It didn't help that he was beginning to reciprocate. He pressed a kiss to Sasuke's cheek, almost surprised with himself. He realised that he wanted this to happen; he wanted to smother Sasuke with affection of every kind. He wanted... He wanted...

He couldn't say it.

"Fuck this noise," he grumbled into Sasuke's neck.

The scared blonde cradled his sleeping raven, thinking, until Sasuke woke up and mumbled a request to be taken home.

* * *

Naruto pulled up to Sasuke's mansion. It never ceased to blow his mind at just how mind bogglingly huge it was. He shook his head, wondering just how one or two people lived by themselves. He was certain that at least one of those rooms hadn't been explored yet. Sasuke lolled his head around sleepily, still drowsy from his nap. It was nearing 830, and the sunlight was almost all gone.

"We're here," Naruto muttered, twisting the key, stopping the car. Sasuke looked to the object of his affections and smiled. It was a small, almost painful-looking smile, but a smile nonetheless. This only made Naruto's decision harder to do.

"Thank you... For everything," Sasuke said, leaning to him.

"Just doin' my job, ma'am." Naruto thumbed the side of his nose and grinned. Sasuke shook his head and rolled his eyes, and reached for the car handle.

"Hold on a second," Naruto said. Sasuke's hand stilled. Naruto opened his mouth to say something more, but decided against it. He leaned across to the passenger's seat and took Sasuke's jaw in his hand.

"What?" Sasuke asked, the familiar blush making an appearance once more.

"Shut up." Naruto crushed his lips against Sasuke's, his hand moving from Sasuke's jaw to his cheek. He stroked the soft skin lovingly, feeling Sasuke's lips work against his after a while. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arm, creating even less space between them. His piano fingers worked themselves into Naruto's hair, massaging the scalp. His heart fluttered, he took deep breaths through his nose, never wanting to break away from the man he had fell so hard for. He made soft, needy whimpering sounds in the back of his throat. He felt Naruto's tongue flick against his bottom lip, and he opened his mouth. Their tongues nearly throttled each other, both of them pushing against the other, nearly rocking the car with their efforts to be the dominant party.

Reluctantly, Sasuke pulled away, really having to catch his breath. Naruto kept at it, peppering his delicate skin with soft kisses. Each one had a lingering feeling of hunger, mingled with gratitude. Sasuke closed his eyes, and laughed softly. "You Bi-Polar son of a bitch," he whispered, inclining his head towards Naruto.

"Don't mess with me right now, dick head," Naruto growled, pushing his nose into Sasuke's neck, like a dog searching for a pest. Sasuke cocked his head and kissed Naruto with a coy innocence. Naruto continued to peck his lips with quick succession, each one longer than the last. "You piss me off," he grunted, grabbing Sasuke's hand from his lap.

"Why?" Sasuke shifted himself so that he was facing Naruto, sitting sideways in the car seat.

"You know why, you dumb bastard." Naruto kissed, then bit Sasuke's knuckle. He rubbed the hand against his scarred cheek, and then let it go. "Now get the hell out of my car."

Sasuke leaned in for a kiss goodbye, feeling somewhat foolish. He was pleasantly surprised with a sweet kiss, but this time Naruto broke it. He said in a thick, hoarse voice, "Go away."

Sasuke opened the door and stepped out. He turned to close it, but Naruto floored it, letting the force slam the door shut. Sasuke jumped back at the action, his body's natural reaction to the event. He touched his swollen, possibly bruised, lips and stared after Naruto's speeding car. Like always, he was extremely confused and deeply in love.

"Bye," he whispered.

* * *

The next day, Sasuke waited outside of the band room like he usually did. It was 30 or 40 minutes after school ended. Most of the people were gone, off to do something productive. Sasuke stretched, hearing his back pop. Naruto should have been here by now.

He sat down on one of the benches provided by the school. He went to an upper class, high society private school, like his brother and his father did before him. One had to wear a uniform – A suit jacket, a tie, white collared shirt, dark blue slacks with a black belt and nicely shined black shoes. This rule was strictly enforced by the school staff. Sasuke had his jacket slung over his shoulder and his sleeves were rolled up. The backpack that could double as a suitcase was resting next to his foot. He looked back and forth between the entrances to the school, hoping to hear Naruto's loud music or see his flashy car. He didn't.

Sasuke considered calling his brother for a ride home. Maybe Naruto was sick and didn't tell him. Maybe he was stuck back at school. Maybe he was stuck in traffic. Maybe he got into an accident and was dead right now. Oh, God, don't think that, don't think that. He's not dead, he's not hurt, he probably told a teacher to fuck off and die and now he's getting yelled at for it. That's the reason. That has to be the reason. He would have said something if he was sick or just not coming.

Instead, Sasuke called Naruto. The phone rang, and rang and rang and rang and rang until the computerised female voice informed him that leaving voicemail was the most appropriate thing to do.

Naruto's voicemail message was a harsh, barking cough, a sniff, then a grunt. "Quit fucking calling." There was a beep, and Sasuke began speaking.

"Aren't you lovely. Did you wake up and think it wasn't a school day or something? How much longer am I going to wait here? It'd be the _polite _thing to tell me that you're too lazy to get me. Hn." Sasuke flipped the phone and pocketed it. With a heavy sigh, he looked to the entrances again.

Where was he?

Another thirty minutes went by, and Sasuke found himself in the passenger's seat of his brother's car. It wasn't particularly flashy, but it was admittedly a nice car. Itachi didn't choose to flaunt his family's wealth through material items, unless that material was cashmere. He was the smartest dresser around, and he loved to make that fact known.

"Your boyfriend doesn't love you anymore." This was Itachi's way of asking. His voice had a hint of amusement to it, amidst the monotone.

"I don't have a boyfriend," Sasuke said to the window.

"My brother got dumped," Itachi mused. "You're an Uchiha, you should be ashamed."

"I never had a boyfriend," Sasuke snarled. It pained him to admit it, even though he knew what Naruto was like. He should have caught on earlier. "I would appreciate it, big brother, if you kept your mouth shut and your eyes on the road."

"Whatever you say, little brother." Itachi smirked as he focused on driving.

Sasuke was internally beating himself up. He knew it was too good to be true, he knew it. He was a fool for expecting Naruto to be serious about something for once.

The Uchiha were an emotionally modest folk. They never wore their heart on their sleeves and kept their business to themselves. However, they all had their habits. Fugaku, his father, would tap his foot or drum his fingers when he was stressed out. Itachi would never mar his visible body, but the inside of his mouth was so chewed that his tongue thought it had textured walls. Sasuke was the most emotional out of the emotionless. He would bite his lip if frustrated; narrow his eyes when confronted; scream when angered... But he stared hard into nothingness, jaw clenched, when faced with a serious problem. He was very focused on his thoughts when he did this; so focused that he hardly noticed anything.

He didn't even notice a car pumping out Aqueous Transmission from a subwoofer stopped at the stoplight next to them.

* * *

Sasuke set down his school pack and trudged up the spiralling staircase to his room. He ignored the housekeepers. He planted himself on a blue beanbag chair he received for his birthday and pulled out his cellphone. He stared at it for a few seconds, and then flipped it open. Naruto had earned the right to be on Sasuke's speed dial (for easy access, Sasuke had joked). It rang for what seemed like a millennia, and then...

"Quit fucking calling." Beeeeep...

Sasuke paused, and chuckled to himself. "God dammit, Naruto..." He trailed off, and then hung up.

His heart ached, wondering just what was wrong. He didn't care that Naruto didn't come to get him – It was the reason why that tugged at him. He wanted to know. If something went under the nose of an Uchiha, you can bet it won't stay under there for long. The insatiable thirst for knowledge and his own crippling narcissism combined made him one paranoid child. Why wouldn't he tell _me_? Does anyone else know? Am I the _last _to know? These thoughts plagued and pounded, angering the already angsty adolescent.

Sasuke thought and thought. His knuckles kneaded into the stretchy material of the beanbag chair, thinning it out and weakening it. His brow continually furrowed. It simply didn't feel right without a crop of blonde hair. Finally, it hit him.

Neji.

Again, he picked up his phone. Neji was the first on his speed dial list. Thankfully, it only rang the acceptable few amounts of times before a somewhat perturbed Neji answered.

"What the fuck do you want? I was taking a god damn nap. Who the fuck is this?"

"Calm down." Sasuke shrank away from the phone, holding it away to protect his ear drums.

"Sasuke?" Neji's volume toned down a bit as he questioned.

"Yes," Sasuke rolled his eyes. Neji's quick temper made him feel a little better- it amused him.

Almost immediately, Neji became less irritable and more like his regular self. "Hey! Long time, eh? Ignoring me is cool if you have a reason."

"Oh, don't give me that," Sasuke grunted, rolling his eyes. "I've..." He paused, reflecting on the times he and Naruto had shared. This was replaced with feeling like a teenage girl.

"You've...? Is this a question game? Do I get to guess?" Neji spoke excitedly. "You finally got that job at Hooters you've always wanted."

"I- What? No!"

"You got drunk, blacked out, and agreed to be a heroin mule."

"What is that?"

"Oh, I forgot. You're pretty much white."

"I'm Japanese..."

"In America, everyone's white unless they're black or gay."

"Seriously? Is this really happening?"

"Yes, now let me keep on guessing."

"No, I won't!"

"Then tell me!"

"I've been seeing Naruto!"

There was silence.

Finally, Neji replied. "Bullshit."

"It is not."

"That faggot's been in Mexico."

"Obviously not."

"He has too. He called me a long time ago and told me, 'Neji, I'll be in Mexico, don't try talking to me or I'll kill you'. Usually that means one of two things- He's doing business or fucking someone, or some_ones_, depending on the part of Mexico."

That stung. "When did he tell you this?"

"Oh, must've been about Tuesday last."

"Why are you talking like a farmer?"

"Never mind that," Neji said, a little too quickly for Sasuke's taste. "He said he'd be in Mexico for a while."

"Well, it's bullshit. He and I have been meeting up after school lets out and-"

"Ho-lee shit. You two boinked again!"

"No! Shut the hell up and listen! We didn't tell anyone because we didn't want to. Okay?"

"Hmmm... Where have you two been canoodling?"

"At his house."

"What's his grandma's name?"

"He has a grandma?"

"Yeah. There's a woman in a green dress cloak thing."

"That's his grandma?"

"Damn, you are telling the truth."

"She doesn't look like a grandma."

"Mexico, man."

"What about it?"

"Shamans."

"Have you been eating dung again?"

"Oh, shut up, I know what I'm talking about."

God, Sasuke loved talking with Neji. "That doesn't matter! The whole reason I called you is to ask HAVE YOU SEEN THAT BLONDE BASTARD?"

There was an even longer pause, then a clearing of the throat followed by a sharp sigh. "Sasuke, I'll have you know I am horridly and deeply offended."

"What the fuck?" Sasuke howled.

"The only reason you would call me, your best friend, is for the whereabouts of some duckweed you slept with."

"He's YOUR best friend!"

"And that may be so, but it doesn't make the pain hurt any less. Goodbye, Sasuke. I hope to never see you again." With that, Neji hung up.

"FUCK!" Sasuke was so glad he was out of the public eye as he had a miniature nuclear meltdown and threw his phone against the closet door. As soon as it hit the plush, expensive rug, it began to ring again. The ringtone Sasuke had personalised for Neji – rather, the song that Neji had chosen for himself - began to play. _She likes to shake her ass, she grinds it to the beat, she likes to pull my hair when I make her grind her teeth..._

Sasuke growled and threw himself towards the phone. _You know what she is, no doubt about it, she's a bad, bad girlfriend!_

"What." Sasuke angrily rasped.

"Ooo Damien, that Omen shit turns me on. What was it? It puts the lotion on its skin, or else the Exorcist pukes that green shit all over you again."

"I'm very sure those are all from different movies," Sasuke stated flatly.

Neji sniffed. "It sounds better when I say it."

Sasuke let his head drop against the wall. "I hate you so much."

"That's not what you were saying last night! Or was that your mom?"

"My mother's dead, asshole."

"Why do you think... Never mind, that's fucked up." Nevertheless, Neji allowed himself a giggle before asking, "What were we talking about?"

"NARUTO."

"I already fucking told you about him! He's in MEXICO! Jesus!" Neji grunted with exasperation.

"Why would he go to Mexico?"

"He usually goes when he doesn't have anything else to do here. He loves Mexico; he was born there. How do you not know this?"

"I never bothered to ask."

"Whore."

"Not in the mood, Neji."

"I noticed."

Sasuke growled. "Thank you for... doing whatever it was you just did. I think you helped me, but you're entirely unhelpful."

"All in a day's work, ma'am. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a bitch to attend to."

"Really?"

"Yeah, my mom." A resonating "I HEARD THAT, YOU LITTLE SHIT!" was heard as clearly as Neji himself over the phone. "Oops, better go."

"I agree." Neji laughed and then hung up, leaving Sasuke to his thoughts.

* * *

Itachi knocked on his younger brother's door delicately. It was supper time and Itachi felt that Sasuke shouldn't go another day without food. It was precisely 2 weeks and 5 days since he had to drive Sasuke home after school. He had been enjoying a lonely supper ever since.

His brother's muffled voice was heard. "Come in," he said. Itachi could sense the sadness behind his otouto's invitation. Gracefully, he opened the door and allowed himself into the dark room.

"Little brother," he began, speaking formally but with his arms slung at his sides, "Dinner is served and is getting cold. I wish for you to come down with me and eat."

"No, thank you." Sasuke was lying on his belly on his bed. His face was buried in his pillow, his arms under the pillow. Everything else in the room was seemingly untouched, aside from a slightly askew book and pen resting on the night table.

"Sasuke," Itachi implored, venturing further into the room. "I don't remember the last time you graced the dinner table. I'm afraid for your health, dear little brother."

Sasuke had always been a pale, sickly thing. He was born prematurely. Itachi remembered standing protectively over his brother's crib when he had finally come home from the hospital, glaring at even the slightest breeze that dared to go near his dear brother. Itachi was certain that Sasuke had been eating, at the least, snacks; otherwise he would have surely perished.

"I don't care," Sasuke spoke into his pillow. He didn't even give Itachi a courtesy glance.

"Tell me, younger brother..." Itachi sat on the bed, placing a hand on Sasuke's back in comfort. "What has you so distraught?"

There was a beat. Itachi waited patiently. "You wouldn't understand," Sasuke muttered, tilting his head to the side to be heard easier.

"On the contrary, dear brother. I have lived longer than you; therefore I have gone through more. I have had my share of emotional troubles." Itachi was always very soft-spoken. He had spoken harshly to others before, of course, but he never raised his voice. It was hardly apparent when he got impatient with someone.

Sasuke closed his eyes. "It's just..." He paused. No one in his family was ever comfortable with sharing their emotions. It was almost considered taboo. How his brother even thought of asking Sasuke to share with him was beyond something he could comprehend.

"Just what?" Itachi had the most calming effect on people. He could soothe worries and quell fears with the natural soft timbre of his voice.

"Well," Sasuke shifted himself so he could properly talk to his brother. "You say you have had your share of emotional trouble, so therefore you mean that you can relate to whatever you think I'm going through."

"Yes."

"Well, Itachi, how can you say that? You've never been in love." And for a minute, it seemed like everything was frozen. Itachi simply sat there, which was usual for him, except for the small indent of anger near his mouth.

Sasuke, on the other hand, stopped breathing. He had shocked himself. Saying that proved his feelings were true. It wasn't as horrible when he had thought it to himself, but those words were now hanging in the air for anyone to hear.

"You think I have never been in love, younger brother?" Itachi asked in a poisonous tone. "Do you honestly believe that?"

Sasuke nodded, only half listening to his furious brother.

"You are dead wrong." Itachi rose off of the bed and began to chew on the inside of his bottom lip. He started to shake his head. "Excuse me," he said, keeping polite. He exited the room in long strides, beginning to breathe heavily. It was undoubtedly the biggest display of emotion he had done in a long time. He re-entered after composing himself.

"Sasuke," he said softly, catching the attention of the smaller raven. "Let me tell you something."

"Yes, big brother?" Sasuke sat up in his bed. He was still pondering his love for Naruto.

"If you are in love with someone, if everything feels right with them and you know without a doubt that you want to care for that person for as long as you can..." Itachi stopped and took a deep breath. He wasn't used to speaking so much at one time. "You have to tell them or show them in any and every way possible. That's the only way you can fix any problem you have. If they love you back, then that's wonderful. If they don't, then that is also wonderful. That means you won't waste your time on them when you could be looking for someone worthwhile. Do you understand, Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked up at his distraught older brother. He wondered how Itachi was so wise in the ways of love when he had never seen Itachi be the slightest intimate with someone outside of the family. "Yes Itachi, I understand."

"Good. I will leave you to your own devices." Itachi nodded formally, taking another large breath. "Good night, younger brother."

"Good night." Sasuke laid back, his eyes wide with questions. If this were true, if he truly did love Naruto... Should he tell him? If so, when? Would Sasuke ever see Naruto again? The probability of never seeing his beloved scared Sasuke.

"Itachi?" Itachi bristled, halfway through the door. He recognised that tone of voice. Itachi hadn't heard that tone since they were both much younger. Hesitant, uncertain, on the brink of tears. He disregarded the shame of such emotions and turned back to Sasuke, brother to brother.

"What is it, little brother?" He walked back into Sasuke's room and sat on Sasuke's bed with him.

"What do you do if the person you love is... gone?"

Itachi inhaled. The longer he looked into his little brother's eyes, the more he connected with him. He knew exactly how Sasuke felt.

"If your person is gone, and if you feel like no one else can replace them, like they are the person who completes you in a way that no one else could ever dream to achieve... Then you wait for them as long as possible." Itachi gnawed at the inside of his left cheek. "If it is destiny for you to be with them, they will return."

"How do you know, Itachi?"

Itachi paused. "We... have much more in common than you would think, Sasuke. Is that all?"

"... Yes," Sasuke laid back onto his mattress, his head resting on his pillow. "Thank you, older brother."

Itachi said nothing and stood up. He left the room to his own, reflecting on his own experiences with love.

Once Sasuke was sure that his elder brother was gone and out of earshot, he shook. He rolled over onto his side, curling over and bringing his knees to his chest. "Oh, oh," he whimpered, a wave of long lost emotion rolling over him, as if he were three and his mother described just how much she loved her little baby Blackbird.

"I-I," he hiccupped, feeling tears brim his eyes. On a whim, he scavenged for his phone, trying to plunge the tears down as far as he could. He would not cry, he would not cry...

He found it wedged between the baseboard and his mattresses. He flipped it open and hurriedly found Naruto's number. He had such passion, he was shaking.

He was going to do it.

He nearly jammed his thumb with the force that he pressed the call button. He pressed the receiver to his ear and bit his lip, continuing to blink back tears. His heart was pounding so hard it was the only thing he could hear.

Silence...

"We're sorry. The number you have dialled..."

The operator never got to finish her spiel. Sasuke laughed bitterly and shut his phone. The light blinked off, and he sat there in the darkness, far more alone than he had ever been before.


End file.
